Coal-washing apparatus.



E. G. BURKS & N. HAYES.

COAL WASHING APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION FILED 001215, 1913.

1,1 12,976. Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

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, stream, with the result that it seriously in UNITEDSTATESPATENTOFFICEEUGENE e, BURKS Ann ivnnnran HAY sfon, nn viInGnAM,nta aaivraf,COAIPWASHING ArPAnATUsf Specification of Iietters Patent.

Application filed october 15,1913, Seria1No.795,,302L a 1 To all whom itmay concern: a

, Be it known that we, EUGENE G. BURKS and NEENmN HAYES, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Birmingham, in the county of JefiersonandState ofpAlabama,

have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Goal-"WashingApparatus; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which. it appertains to make and use the same.

a The present invention relates to asettling apparatus for treating washwateri'rom washed coal, and has for its purpose to provide anarrangement whereby to recover the coal dust which is usually carriedoff and lost with the wash water in the method and apparatus nowemployed. The further purpose of construct a form of apparatus whereinthe water for separating the coal is purified or:

cleared and used over and over progressively with the separating,operatlon, to the end of saving the expense of tankage, and other lossesand damage incident thereto.

The method of treating the wash water from washed coal as now carriedout con-v sists generally in conveying the same to settling tanks whereit is subjected to the action of a contantly flowing; stream of waterwhich floats off the foreignmatter from the coal, and the coalaccumulates or settles in section and part elevational view theconstruction of the apparatus employed.

Referring tothe apparatus in detail,,the same consists of one, or a pairof settling tanks 1 and 2 suitably mounted on a supporting structure 3,and adapted to hold the wash water A delivered thereto from the pumpwell 4 located between said tanks, as shown. The tanks are provided withendless conveyers 5 and 6, respectively, for carthe invention is toknown type and is ingeneral use, and no claim. istherefore made to thesamein the present case,

In the use of coal dust, which is not carried away a with PatentedOct.6, i914.

rying ot]? the, Washed coal which is lied to the apparatus means of thesluices 7 and 8. The foregoing described apparatus is of v the settlingtanks 1 and or ust one of them as the case may be,fine

the \vash water accumulates or cakes until the deposit has to be removedby aseparate a washing operation, since the same cannot be carriedby theconveyer, by reasons of being out of its path of operation, and; of thetendencyof such dust to stick to the sloping sides of the tank as atpresent used. To avoid this, a separate or independent vessel is loacated within eachtank and forms the coal receiving anddeliveringreceptacle. Each of said vessels is constructed of spaced Walls 9 and10, having perforations 11 through which the wash water may freelypass.

A suitable filtering substance 12,, such as coal, slag, charcoal, coke,or other like material, is contained within the space provided by thewalls of the vessel, and has for its purpose to filter or clear thewater of all coal dust Which is held in suspension by the waterpercolating throughthe apertures 11. By this provision the coal dust iskept within the filtering vessel, and when the same has caked oraccumulated to any extent on the walls thereof, it is removed by thebuckets of the conveyer in the course of their normal operation.

The means for delivering the filtered water from the settling tanksconsists of a pair of spouts 17 which carry off the overflow from saidtanks into the pump well, as shown in the drawing. From the pump well 4the water is, carried to the usual jigs 16 through the pipes 16 and 17*,and the a force pump 18*. It is proposed, however,to j

conduct the wash water from the settling tanks directly to the jigs 16without first delivering the same into the well 4, and to this end pipes18 and 19 are connected with said settling tanks, and the pipe 16 bythebranch pipe 15. The pipes 18 and19 are provided withvalves 21 and 22,and the pipe 16 with a similar valve 23, the purpose for which will beobvious. The washywateris re-delivered to the filtering vessels from thejigs. 16 by means of the sluice-ways 7 and 8.

Each of the filteringvessels is with a pipe 20 of relatively large 4rovided g; iameter, J

. rovidino an' annular s ace therewith said P h a and has for itspurpose to provide a means for cleaning out said vessels in the eventthat there should be an accident to the machinery so that the coal couldnot be taken up by the buckets of the conveyer. 7

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spiritof our invention and there'- fore we do not wish to be limited to suchfeatures, except as may-be required by the claims.

We claim:

In a settling apparatus for coal washings the combination of a tankadapted to hold water, and having an over-flow spout; a filtering vessellocated within said tank and vessel constructed with inner and outerpera the sluice substantially as described.

pendicular and perforated walls, and a granular filling between saidwalls; asluice for delivering the material to be separated into said;filtering vessel; an endless conveyer operable within the filteringvessel for carrying off the material collectedv therein;

a well located adjacent said tank and adapt ed to receive the over-flowfrom the tank spout; a pump; and pipes connecting with said pump andwell for carrying oil the water from the well and delivering same t Intestimony whereof, we atfixour signatures, in'presenoe of two witnesses.EUGENE G. BURKS.

NEENIAN HAYES. Witnesses:

SAM FOLEY, J. W; ADAIR.

each, by addr ssing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washin ton, 1 c.

